His love for others is genuinely unselfish (Five times in 1st John the apostle states to love God is to keep His commandments). 6 “Must Read” Books on Calvinism. by Roger E. Olson. Roger olson’s book Against Calvinismrepresents a contemporary pre- sentation and defense of evangelical Arminianism that not only merits but requires careful and sympathetic reading by non-Arminians as well. What is going to... J.C. Ryle’s book Holiness stands as a cornerstone piece in the library of Christian classics. Jesus is not aloof or indifferent to human anguish, for he suffered as a man. By Authur W. Pink. But is it a theology that should last? In Against Calvinism, readers will find scholarly arguments explaining why Calvinist theology is incorrect and how it affects God’s reputation. By not engaging the Word of God in any meaningful way Olsen doesn’t substantiate the arguments he advances against Calvinism. Introduction Calvinist theology has been debated and promoted for centuries. Shelves: theology Roger E. Olson's "Against Calvinism" is a lively and engaging critique of high Calvinist theology, the type of Calvinist theology … He explains that taken “to their logical conclusion, that even hell and all who will suffer there eternally are foreordained by God, God is thereby rendered morally ambiguous at best and a moral monster at worst” (Olsen, 23). Olsen teaches that Calvinists contradict the Scripture passages that reveal God is love but even John distinguishes between the love God has for His children, and His children are to have towards others, and the unbeliever who has no love for God (God hates the unbeliever; Psalm 5:5 and 11:5). Furthermore the context of this verse is about judgment. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lewis so eloquently put it: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”[viii]. [iii], When examining this verse, Puritan theologian John Owen asks, “Who are these of whom the apostle speaks?” Owen then goes to explain that such as had received “great and precious promises,” chap. The principled Arminians seem beleaguered when set in contrast to the vibrancy of the “new Calvinism,” Olson’s primary opponent in his book Against Calvinism. You can follow him on Twitter. Repentance in the context of this passage is not being urged on Jerusalem for the preceding chapters affirm that its destruction is already assured. For and Against Calvinism Pack: Horton, Michael, Olson, Roger E.: 0025986494285: Books - Amazon.ca If I did this the review would have been much longer. However, God’s final prevailing over evil and sin will all the more exhibit His splendor and dominion. In this well written book Stewart shows that there is more breadth to Calvinism than is often portrayed. I really appreciate that he reads Calvinist sources and quotes from them while analyzing them from his perspective. The Scriptures are replete in declaring God’s moral perfection and His dealings with mankind just. Secondly, God may use evil and suffering to build the moral and spiritual character of His people or to express fatherly discipline (Rom. Of all the world’s religions, only Christianity reveals the God who suffers with humanity and for humanity! Secondly, God’s sovereignty and glory will be displayed by his ultimate prevailing over evil. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. Steve Sewell, “Strong Argument Against Calvinism: Romans 11:7” December 11, 2013, posted by Steve Sewell “What then? For faith to grow, it often has to be tested by fire. The unbeliever has not even begun to know God. However, God had planned this incredible miscarriage of justice from all eternity (Acts 2:22-23). Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Second, God calls His children to live a life of faith (confidence and trust) in the goodness and sovereignty of God despite the presence of evil and suffering. 2:4, Olsen, 99). In Against Calvinism, readers will find scholarly arguments explaining why Calvinist theology is incorrect and how it affects God’s reputation. One of the questions we began with as we explored Olsen’s biblical exegesis is, “Does Olsen’s explanation of 1 John 4:8, 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 do justice or damage to those texts, or is he imposing his theological categories upon those texts?” As I have shown above, I believe that Dr. Olsen does not understand the texts he uses in order to refute Calvinism. 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9″ (Olsen, 99). Olson thinks that deferring to the mystery of God’s decrees is a cop-out, and repeatedly criticizes Piper, in particular, for deferring to the complexity of God’s biblically revealed motivations. God delays in His coming because He is patient and desires the time for His people to repent. John Calvin - Institutes of the Christian Religion. I requested this book to be given as a gift to my niece, who loves to read. Calvinist theology has been debated and promoted for centuries. These passages speak of love that originates in God and describes the believer as a person who loves and knows God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” All of God’s great works (creation and redemption) are intended to display God’s sovereignty and glory. Franklin was of course not a Christian, but this spiritual biography of sorts is a fascinating and meticulous look at the philosophies and formations that drove him, including not just deism but the burgeoning Puritan Calvinism of his upbringing. Our marketplace offers millions of titles from sellers worldwide. Courage is forged only through facing one’s fears; just as steel must be refined by fire. Throughout this book Olsen claims that the “God of Calvinism is a moral monster.” Does Calvinism actually teach that “God is a moral monster?” More importantly than this question since Calvinists affirm Sola Scriptura and seek to be faithful men and women of the Word of God, “Does Scripture teach the position Calvinists espouse?”. The apostle Paul, who endured much evil and suffering, explains the casual relationship between suffering and character, “But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. God is acquainted with suffering for God has suffered in Christ. Olson pushes further, however, and insists that Calvinists ignore the really, really bad things that happen in the world—the Holocaust, child abuse and childhood disease—when they happily chirp about God’s sovereignty. The Cross is the ultimate act of injustice where the sinless God-Man died for sinners to appease the wrath of God. Two-book pack containing award-winning author Michael Horton's For Calvinism and Roger Olson's Against Calvinism. By not engaging the text of Scripture Dr. Olsen does not help to prove his argument. 18:32; 1 Tim. Christians can trust God in the midst of suffering because they are aware of his character and promises. Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. First, believers can know they never suffer alone. - 1 – www.tlee1128.com A Bible-Based Argument Against Calvinism (TULIP) by James Thomas Lee, Jr. 11/14/2012 08/09/2013 - 2 – After these cataclysmic eschatological events, the Lord will bring forth the new creation, forever free from evil and its consequences. I first read He is There and He is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer in 1992. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. By contrast, he has no such pleasure when a person dies without repentance. A loving earthly father disciplines his children, though unpleasant at the time, discipline is crucial to a child’s growth as a responsible person. This is not what the context or the passage teaches. This book would be taken seriously by Calvinists if he had engaged the Word of God. But I’m not so sure. In Against Calvinism Olsen writes not to attack Calvinism but to critique several aspects of Reformed theology (Olsen, 13). In the Gospel God stretches out His hand to all without difference, but lays hold of only of those, to lead them to Himself, whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world. What really bothers Olson, however, is the larger issue that God’s meticulous sovereignty implies that he is the author of sin and suffering. Before we go any further let us remember what Olsen is claiming. Sample. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Olson certainly believes in the Bible, but he also puts heavy weight on the authority of early 21st century concepts of justice and fairness. The person who fails to commune with God in prayer and neglects to read the Bible cannot be the instrument through which God demonstrates His divine power. Your email address will not be published. Six Ways to Use Our Website, Why It Matters, and How You Can Help Us, A Review of Wondrous Works of God: A Family Bible Story Book, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer – Andy Naselli, Review of Biblical Marriage by John-William Noble, J.C. Ryle. Nor is God, in his decisions, subject to the critique of finite and imperfect human beings. In the title of this post I wrote that Against Calvinism is a counterpoint book. God expresses more concern for his children than their comfort. Furthermore, I believe that Olsen engages in proof-texting which doesn’t substantiate his arguments. In conclusion, the main problem with Olsen’s argument is that nowhere does he engage in meaningful exegesis of the Scripture. How Bad Is This Moment in American History? what is happening today is a surprise to him. No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Calvinists will counter that God is substantially different from us, and that we should not expect to fully understand his ways. At the end of the day, I cannot recommend reading Against Calvinism because through his poor use of Scripture he substantiates the teaching of Calvinism and doesn’t advance the Calvinist/Arminian debate at all. Roger Olson suggests that Calvinism, also commonly known as Reformed theology, holds an unwarranted place in our list of accepted theologies. These Christians think it is obvious that a loving God would never send people to hell without giving them a fair shot at salvation (if indeed God sends anyone to hell at all). The smaller group, today at least, comprises principled Arminians, defenders of the theological tradition of Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley, and Charles Finney. People often ask, “Why does God allow evil and suffering?” Christians must avoid presumption concerning the causes of evil and suffering because this question remains a deeply mystery. What this means it that when the problem of evil is viewed in light of God’s demonstration of His attributes and His own self-glorification, the problem is greatly diminished. [iii] James Boice, Philip Ryken, The Doctrines of Grace Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Illinois, Crossway, 2002), 127. Third, evil and suffering go beyond a logical or philosophical problem-they are deeply personal and human problems. OR. According to Roger Olsen, the “Calvinist account of God’s sovereignty inevitably makes God the author of sin, evil and innocent suffering… [He] is at best morally ambiguous and at worst a moral monster hardly distinguishable from the devil” (Olsen, 84). Jesus suffered the agony of Roman capital punishment- crucifixion. Many Calvinists have felt the need to defend their tribe against the age-old charge that Calvinism diminishes evangelism and that Calvinists therefore make poor evangelists. 18:32), wants everyone to be saved (Ezek. But is this assessment fair to the Calvinist position or consistent with Scripture? In this book Olsen is standing up and saying “No!” to what he calls “Egregious statements about God’s sovereignty often made by Calvinists” (Olsen, 23). See All Formats. Andy Naselli takes readers on a short and illuminating tour of Scripture and reveals the main features of God’s plan in redemptive history. I don’t think that most Calvinists will find this a convincing argument, because Olson seems to be insisting that God must prove his love in a way that meets contemporary sensibilities about what love means. Multiple readings have ensued, and I turn back to Schaeffer’s book again and again for help with apologetics. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. First God has a morally adequate-but not yet fully revealed, reason-for allowing evil and suffering. The History of a Movement in Crisis (Yale, 2019); Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father (Yale, 2017); Baptists in America: A History with Barry Hankins (Oxford, 2015); George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father (Yale, 2014); and Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots (Basic, 2011). The reason for Christ’s delay in Christ’s coming and the attendant judgments is not because He is slow to keep His promise, or because He wants to judge more of the wicked, or because He is impotent in the face of wickedness. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”. To him, saying that God is “creech-creech” would make about as much sense as saying that a loving God offered his Son only for those predestined for salvation. Olson draws on a variety of sources, including Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience, to support his critique of Calvinism and the more historically rich, biblically faithful alternative theologies he proposes. [i], Peter addressed his epistle “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). I used that term because Zondervan published For Calvinism first, and this book is the good or evil twin of that one – but Zondervan doesn’t appear to have a name for these related books (like a counterpoint series or something along those lines). (Romans 8:35, 37). 1, d. Whitney J. Oates (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992). Anyone who believes that God foreknows everything (a doctrine some theologians are now questioning), and that he created everything, must necessarily deal with the fact that God knew that sin and suffering would come into the world and yet proceeded with creation. 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